PAWS Chicago - Community Outreach

This week, PAWS Chicago hosted incoming MSW students from Loyola University Chicago’s School of Social Work for a two-day introduction to veterinary social work, through the school’s Community Immersion Program, which introduces new students to community organizations across the city before their first semester of classes begins.

Day one, at our Kocourek Medical Center & Lurie Clinic, introduced students to the human-animal bond as a practice framework: how to ask about pets during intake assessments, how to recognize that bond as a protective factor and source of resiliency, and how to connect clients to pet-inclusive resources.

Students toured our high-volume spay/neuter clinic, had a Q&A session on Access to Veterinary Care, then spent the afternoon prepping donations for an upcoming 360@CACC Pet Owner Support Event.

Day two, at Chicago Animal Care and Control students sat down with CACC operations and field staff to talk through how the agency partners with other city resources to respond to animal cruelty, hoarding, and homelessness, and why animal care is an essential public service. Students also spent time bonding with adoptable dogs at CACC, providing 13 dogs with time outside on a beautiful summer day.

For many students, the two days reframed how they think about the populations they’ll one day serve.

Learning how many unhoused Chicagoans are still finding ways to care for a pet, even while struggling to care for themselves, changed how one student thinks about serving that population altogether. Another connected that same idea directly to the profession she’s entering: “The stats and education around this topic helped me understand how important animal welfare and veterinary care really are, and gave me ideas for how to help drive awareness and education for the collective.”

Others walked away with a new understanding of the human-animal bond itself. “You don’t know what you don’t know,” one student said. “Understanding how humans and animals are tied together and should be seen as part of the family.” Another classmate put words: touring both PAWS and CACC back to back with a veterinary social worker gave her a first look at “the day-to-day and behind the scenes” of a career path she hadn’t known existed 48 hours earlier. Another described a lesson that will stick with her long after the visit: “Learning that to care for animals, we have to care for people, and vice versa. Volunteers are absolutely essential for animal enrichment.”

Grateful to Chicago Animal Care and Control and Loyola University Chicago's School of Social Work for their partnership in introducing the next generation of social workers to understand, from their very first week of school, that people and pets belong together.

Chicago Animal Care & Control’s 2nd Annual Air & Water Show spoof will have waived fees and volunteers onsite to assist with the adoption process.

Do you live in Englewood, West Englewood, Woodlawn, or Back of the Yards and have Medicaid or CountyCare? You can get free spay/neuter, microchipping, and vaccines for your pet at our Lurie Clinic.

This service is available to residents of zip codes 60621, 60636, 60637, and 60609. Appointments can be scheduled online, no phone call needed.

Book your appointment: https://www.pawschicago.org/our-work/spayneuter/lurie-clinic

¿Vives en Englewood, West Englewood, Woodlawn o Back of the Yards y tienes Medicaid o CountyCare? Puedes recibir esterilización o castración, microchip y vacunas gratuitas para tu mascota en nuestra Clínica Lurie.

Este servicio está disponible para residentes de los códigos postales 60621, 60636, 60637 y 60609. Puedes programar tu cita en línea, sin necesidad de llamar.

Programa tu cita: https://www.pawschicago.org/our-work/spayneuter/lurie-clinic

Our Community Outreach team is celebrating the completion of our Spring/Summer Veterinary Social Work internship cohort at PAWS Chicago!

One of our interns, Tanya, shared a reflection on what the experience meant to her.

“This experience taught me so much about myself, my values, and the kind of social worker I aspire to be. I could not have had this transformative experience without the incredible Community Outreach Team. 

Thank you for your mentorship, guidance, and unwavering support throughout my internship journey.

Three key takeaways from my time at PAWS Chicago are:

🐾 The power of the human-animal bond. I witnessed firsthand how pets can provide comfort, stability, and emotional support, strengthening the well-being of individuals and families.

🐾 The importance of meeting people where they are. Effective outreach begins with compassion, empathy, and understanding. Every individual has a unique story, and meaningful support comes from honoring those experiences.

🐾 The value of collaboration and community. Lasting change happens when organizations, community members, and service providers work together to remove barriers and create opportunities for people and their pets to thrive.

I am incredibly thankful for everyone at PAWS Chicago who contributed to my learning and growth. This experience has further strengthened my passion for social work and community advocacy.”

Tanya is headed next to Aurora University to begin the Advanced Standing Master of Social Work Program. We are proud of the growth she showed during her time with us and grateful for the energy and care she brought to our team.

Congratulations, Tanya, and to our entire first cohort. We can’t wait to see where this next chapter takes you.

A community member brought a stray kitten he'd found on the street to Chicago Animal Care and Control, and while he was there, he met our 360@CACC team and learned about the services PAWS Chicago provides.

He mentioned that his dog, Flaco, had bumps growing on his chest. Our team made him a community medicine appointment to have it examined.

Our Senior Director of Veterinary Services examined the bumps and provided next steps for follow-up care, along with getting him caught up on vaccines.

Flaco isn't the only animal in this house. He's got a sister, Peanut Butter, and eight cats sharing the home with him. One by one, we've spayed and neutered every single one of them.

Getting every animal in a household spayed or neutered is important.

Unplanned litters add more mouths to feed and more vet bills to cover, and that's often what pushes a family past what they can manage, leading to owner surrenders.

When every pet is fixed in a home, families do not become overwhelmed, and fewer animals end up homeless.

Two outdoor kittens, Café and Nala were struggling with an upper respiratory infection when a community member found them and brought them to Chicago Animal Care and Control.

Our 360@CACC team asked a simple question: if PAWS Chicago provided treatment for the URIs, preventative care, spay/neuter, and everything else the kittens needed, would they consider keeping them instead?

The answer was yes.

We provided their finders with everything they’d need to welcome two new kittens home.

Café and Nala then received URI treatment during a clinic appointment on July 21st. By their recheck this week, both kittens were feeling much better!

At the recheck appointment, both kittens received vaccines, microchips, and flea prevention, and they're now scheduled for spay and neuter on September 1st at our Lurie Clinic; once they’re big enough for surgery.

Two kittens who could have entered the shelter system now have a loving home.

This week our veterinary social work program clinical supervisor Amy and MSW intern Caroline presented "Taking Care of the Superhero in YOU" to PAWS Chicago volunteers.

Compassion fatigue in animal welfare impacts staff and volunteers differently, and understanding and caring for each group is vital. Amy and Caroline built a session that spoke directly to what this work asks of volunteers emotionally and how to sustain themselves in it.

Interested in volunteering with Community Outreach or 360@CACC? Start here: https://www.pawschicago.org/how-to-help/volunteer/become-a-volunteer

Esta semana nuestra supervisora clínica de trabajo social veterinario Amy y la pasante de maestría en trabajo social Caroline presentaron "Cuidando al Superhéroe en TI" a los voluntarios de PAWS Chicago.

La fatiga por compasión en el bienestar animal es una conciencia creciente en nuestro campo. Afecta al personal y a los voluntarios de manera diferente, y entender y cuidar a cada grupo es fundamental. Amy y Caroline crearon una sesión que habló directamente sobre lo que este trabajo exige emocionalmente a los voluntarios y cómo sostenerse en él.

¿Interesado en ser voluntario con Community Outreach o 360@CACC? Comience aquí: https://www.pawschicago.org/how-to-help/volunteer/become-a-volunteer

Free spay/neuter, microchipping, and vaccines are available for pets in Englewood, West Englewood, Woodlawn, and Back of the Yards. If you have Medicaid or CountyCare, your pet can get full-service care at our Lurie Clinic at no cost.

Eligible zip codes: 60621, 60636, 60637, and 60609. Book online in minutes, no phone call required.

Schedule now: https://www.pawschicago.org/our-work/spayneuter/lurie-clinic

Servicios gratuitos de esterilización, castración, microchip y vacunas están disponibles para mascotas en Englewood, West Englewood, Woodlawn y Back of the Yards. Si tienes Medicaid o CountyCare, tu mascota puede recibir atención completa sin costo en nuestra Clínica Lurie.

Códigos postales elegibles: 60621, 60636, 60637 y 60609. Programa tu cita en línea en minutos, sin necesidad de llamar.

Programa tu cita ahora: https://www.pawschicago.org/our-work/spayneuter/lurie-clinic